Ladder attachment



A. M. FAIRFIELD LADDER ATTACHMENT Filed June 1'7, 1924 /NVENTH n -9 MZZLEFJZ'LD A TTOHNEYS Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATE-S1 ARTHUR MOSES FAIRFIELD, OF ST. MARYS, KANSAS.

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

Application led June 17, 1924.

To all whom. t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. FAIRFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Marys, in the county of Pottawato-mie and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Ladder Attachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXactdescription.

This invention relates to ladder attachments and more particularly to an improved bracket or ladder supporting and spacing member located at the upper end of the ladder and operated from the ground by means of a cord, rope or other flexible connecting device so as to properly position the bracket to support the upper end of the ladder spaced from the wall or other support any desired distance and to insure proper retention of the ladder to avoid accidents.

A further object is to provide an attachment of the character' stated which may be connected to any ordinary ladder and which may be adapted for any use and which embodies a construction of great simplicity, strength and utility.

iVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arranOements of parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my improved attachment in operative position on the ladder;

Figure 2 is a view in section on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 1l is a fragmentary view in section illustrating the manner of connecting the rubber or other tips to the bracket arms.

l represents a ladder of ordinary construction, to the upright members of which adjacent their upper ends I secure angle brackets 2, 2. These brackets 2, 2 have laterally projecting members 3, which may function as supports, if desired, but the main portions of the brackets project beyond the edges of the members of the ladder Serial No. 720,704.

and have openings 4L constituting bearings for a shaft 5.

The ends of this shaft 5 are bent at right angles, forming arms 6, and these arms 6 may constitute supports for the ladder. It is desirable that these arms be of a suitable length and a preferred construction is to make the arms in sections; in other words, provide any desired number, shape and form of outer sections 7 and provide internal screw-threaded sleeves 8 to engage the threaded ends of the arms 6 and the sections 7 to couple them together, as shown most clearly in Figure 3. Also these outer sections may be removed, if desired, and rubber caps or other devices 9 may be screwed onto the ends of the sections 6, which is particularly desirable when the ladder' is for use by paper-hangers and the like so as not to mar the wall.

The shaft 5 has a crank arm l0 fixed thereto and projecting at right angles therefrom, and to this crank arm l0 a. cord, rope, chain or other ieXible connection 11 is secured, and is of suitable length so as to be conveniently manipulated {by the operator on the ground. It will be readily understood that the operator can, while standing on the ground, move the flexible connecting device 11 so as to swing the arms 6 to any desired position, and when they are properly positioned he can secure the flexible connecting device to one of the rungs 12 of the ladder to prevent its displacement.

It will thus be noted that the shaft 5, arms 6 and crank arm l0 constitute a pivoted supporting bracket readily manipulated by the operator on the ground or at any position on the ladder and enable him to position the bracket as he may desire in accordance with the position he desires for the ladder.

Various slight changes and alterations might be made in the general form of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claimv I claim: A ladder attachment comprising apair of brackets adapted to be fixed to the sides of a ladder at a point adjacent their upper 5 ends, said brackets projecting beyond the edges of the ladder and having bearings therein, a shaft mounted in the bearings, arms fixed to the ends of the shaft and located at an angle thereto, a crank arm fixed to the shaft between the side members of the ladder, and a flexible operating device connected to the crank arm and adapted to be secured to a rung of the ladder to hold the arms in anT position of adjustment relative to the ladder.

ARTHUR MOSES FAIRFIELD. 

